Diplomat Quotes

I say that every prince must desire to be considered merciful and not cruel. He must, however, take care not to misuse this mercifulness.

Once your children are grown up and have children of their own, the problems are theirs and the less the older generation interferes the better.

Jazz: Music invented for the torture of imbeciles.

Fear is secured by a dread of punishment.

Where the very safety of the country depends upon the resolution to be taken, no consideration of justice or injustice, humanity or cruelty, nor of glory or of shame, should be allowed to prevail. But putting all other considerations aside, the only question should be: What course will save the life and liberty of the country?

He who has once begun to live by rapine always finds reasons for taking what is not his.

We must distinguish between those who depend on others, that is between those who to achieve their purposes can force the issue and those who must use persuasion. In the second case, they always come to grief, having achieved nothing; when, however, they depend on their own resources and can force the issue, then they are seldom endangered.

Severities should be dealt out all at once, so that their suddenness may give less offense; benefits ought to be handed ought drop by drop, so that they may be relished the more.

Have convictions. Be friendly. Stick to your beliefs as they stick to theirs. Work as hard as they do.

Therefore, a prudent ruler ought not to keep faith when by so doing it would be against his interest, and when the reasons which made him bind himself no longer exist. If men were all good, this precept would not be a good one; but as they are bad, and would not observe their faith with you, so you are not bound to keep faith with them.

These are the things I prize And hold of dearest worth: Light of the sapphire skies, Peace of the silent hills, Shelter of the forests, comfort of the grass, Music of birds, murmur of little rills, Shadows of cloud that swiftly pass, And, after showers, The smell of flowers And of the good brown earth,- And best of all, along the way, friendship and mirth.

When it's better for everyone, it's better for everyone.

I know that given great responsibility men sometimes change, but Mr. Nixon's Presidency would worry me.

It has always been the opinion and judgment of wise men that nothing can be so uncertain as fame or power not founded on its own strength.

As for accomplishments, I just did what I had to do as things came along.

I have a great objection to seeing anyone, particularly anyone whom I care about, lose his self-control.

A day out-of-doors, someone I loved to talk with, a good book and some simple food and music - that would be rest.

I have never believed that war settled anything satisfactorily, but I am not entirely sure that some times there are certain situations in the world such as we have in actuality when a country is worse off when it does not go to war for its principles than if it went to war.

By the delusions of seeming good the people are often misled to desire their own ruin; and they are frequently influenced by great hopes and brave promises.

We measure success by accumulation. The measure is false. The true measure is appreciation. He who loves most has most.

In the long run there is no more exhilarating experience than to determine one's position, state it bravely and then act boldly.

Think as little as possible about yourself and as much as possible about other people.

Unused ability, like unused muscles, will atrophy.

Good order makes men bold, and confusion, cowards.

The lintel low enough to keep out pomp and pride; The threshold high enough to turn deceit aside; The doorband strong enough from robbers to defend; This door will open at a touch to welcome every friend.

No writing has any real value which is not the expression of genuine thought and feeling.

The sinews of war are not gold, but good soldiers; for gold alone will not procure good soldiers, but good soldiers will always procure gold.

Death comes in its own time, in its own way.Death is as unique as the individual experiencing it.

Decide which is the line of conduct that presents the fewest drawbacks and then follow it out as being the best one, because one never finds anything perfectly pure and unmixed, or exempt from danger.

All big things in human history have been arrived at slowly and through many compromises.

A great deal of fear is a result of just “not knowing.” We do not know what is involved in a new situation. We do not know whether we can deal with it. The sooner we learn what it entails, the sooner we can dissolve our fear.

The reformer has enemies in all who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order.

How laudable it is for a prince to keep good faith and live with integrity, and not with astuteness, every one knows. Still the experience of our times shows those princes to have done great things who have had little regard for good faith, and have been able by astuteness to confuse men's brains, and who have ultimately overcome those who have made loyalty their foundation.

Everybody wants something.

What could we accomplish if we knew we could not fail?

The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all.

It is a rather curious thing to have to divide one's life into personal and official compartments and temporarily put the personal side into its hidden compartment to be taken out again when one's official duties are at an end.

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.

You rarely achieve finality. If you did, life would be over, but as you strive new visions open before you, new possibilities for the satisfaction of living.

it is much safer to be feared than loved because ...love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.

Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love, to work, to play, and to look up at the stars.

It is better to follow even the shadow of the best, than to remain content with the worst.

Success in marriage depends on being able, when you get over being in love, to really love....You never know anyone until you marry them.

I shall grow old, but never lose life's zest, because the road's last turn will be the best.

What do I owe my father? Everything!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

How can we be such fools as to go on senselessly taking human life in this way? Why the women in every nation do not rise up and refuse to bring children into a world of this kind is beyond my understanding.

Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves

I can not believe that war is the best solution. No one won the last war, and no one will win the next war.

Speaking generally, men are ungrateful, fickle, hypocritical, fearful odanger and covetous ogain.

I have often felt that I cheated my children a little. I was never so totally theirs as most mothers are. I gave to audiences whatbelonged to my children, got back from audiences the love my children longed to give me.

No leader can be too far ahead of his followers.

You seem to think that everyone can save money if they have the character to do it. As a matter of fact, there are innumerable people who have a wide choice between saving and giving their children the best possible opportunities. The decision is usually in favor of the children.

The Romans never allowed a trouble spot to remain simply to avoid going to war over it, because they knew that wars don't just go away, they are only postponed to someone else's advantage. Therefore, they made war with Philip and Antiochus in Greece, in order not to have to fight them in Italy... They never went by that saying which you constantly hear from the wiseacres of our day, that time heals all things. They trusted rather their own character and prudence- knowing perfectly well that time contains the seeds of all things, good as well as bad.

It's your life-but only if you make it so.

In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.

I believe that all that we go through here must have some value.

Some people are going to leave a mark on this world, while others will leave a stain.

When life is too easy for us, we must beware or we may not be ready to meet the blows which sooner or later come to everyone, rich or poor.

No, I have never wanted to be a man. I have often wanted to be more effective as a woman, but I have never felt that trousers would do the trick!